Tax Leader

About Ascend

Backed by private equity from people-focused Alpine Investors, Ascend is building a dynamic platform for regional accounting firms that enables them to stay independent while accessing the resources of a Top 25 firm to help them grow. Ascend provides access to growth capital, robust talent acquisition and training, leading quality management resources, best-of-breed technology, AI tools, an offshore captive, shared back-office services, a catalytic leadership system, and modernized equity incentives so that firms can surmount today’s industry challenges to reach their full potential. For more information, visit www.ascendtogether.com.

The Opportunity

BiggsKofford is seeking an experienced tax professional to become a key leader in our Real Estate & Construction practice, with the opportunity to build upon an established client base and ultimately assume a significant partner leadership role within the firm.

We are intentionally keeping the title flexible. The right candidate could currently be a Senior Tax Manager, Director, Principal, or early-stage Partner. We are much more interested in finding the right person than fitting the opportunity into a predetermined title.

This is not a position where someone will simply inherit a workload and review tax returns. We are looking for an entrepreneurial CPA who wants the opportunity to lead and grow a practice.

BiggsKofford has a long history and strong reputation serving Colorado’s real estate developers, homebuilders, construction companies, contractors, landowners and real estate investors. That history has created a substantial existing base from which the successful candidate can develop an even larger Real Estate & Construction tax practice.

Importantly, a legacy partner who has served many of these relationships is progressing toward retirement. This creates a natural succession opportunity for the right person to assume important client relationships while simultaneously building his or her own practice.

For someone who wants to move beyond being one of many managers or partners in a large organization and instead become a recognized leader of a significant practice, we believe this is an unusual opportunity.

Why BiggsKofford?

BiggsKofford occupies a unique position in the Colorado CPA market.

We have the technical sophistication and depth to serve substantial privately held businesses, while retaining the responsiveness, entrepreneurial culture and independence of a boutique firm.

Our clients are often comparable in size and complexity to those served by regional and national CPA firms. However, many of Colorado’s largest privately held real estate developers, homebuilders and construction companies value working with an independent firm where senior professionals remain directly involved in their businesses.

That creates a particularly compelling market position for BiggsKofford.

As consolidation continues within the accounting profession, there are fewer sophisticated independent CPA firms capable of serving larger privately held companies. BiggsKofford intends to continue expanding within that segment of the market.

Our offices in Colorado Springs and the Denver Tech Center provide access to opportunities throughout Colorado’s Front Range. We believe there is substantial untapped opportunity—from Southern Colorado through Denver and the surrounding communities—for the right individual to expand our Real Estate & Construction practice.

There is no predefined ceiling on what this practice can become.

What We Are Looking For

The ideal candidate will combine strong tax technical skills with the personality and ambition of a business advisor and practice leader.

We are particularly interested in someone who:

• Is a CPA with significant public accounting tax experience, generally 8+ years;
• Has meaningful experience serving real estate, construction, homebuilding, development, or related privately held businesses;
• Understands sophisticated closely held businesses and their owners;
• Can manage complex tax engagements involving partnerships, S corporations, individuals and other closely held entities;
• Enjoys tax planning and business consulting—not simply tax compliance;
• Is comfortable developing relationships directly with business owners, CEOs, CFOs and other senior executives;
• Has demonstrated an ability to lead, mentor and develop professional staff;
• Can become a trusted advisor whom clients call regarding business issues that extend beyond the tax return;
• Has the ability or desire to develop relationships with attorneys, bankers, investment advisors and other centers of influence;
• Thinks entrepreneurially about client service and business development; and
• Wants to become an important member of the leadership team of a growing CPA firm.

An existing portable book of business is not necessarily required. Although if the candidate has existing relationships we would welcome the opportunity to consider the appropriate acquisition cost for that book of business. That said, we are more interested in finding someone with the ability, credibility and ambition to develop a significant practice when provided with an established platform, existing client relationships and the resources of BiggsKofford.

More Than a Tax Compliance Role

BiggsKofford’s approach to client service extends well beyond preparing tax returns.

Our senior professionals are expected to understand the client’s business, identify opportunities, anticipate issues and work collaboratively across the firm’s service areas. The successful candidate should enjoy sitting across the table from an entrepreneur and discussing the broader financial and strategic issues affecting the company and its owners.

The individual will ultimately be expected to:

• Serve as the primary relationship leader for a significant portfolio of Real Estate & Construction clients;
• Provide proactive tax planning and strategic advice;
• Lead complex tax engagements and ensure excellent execution by the broader tax team;
• Develop younger professionals and future leaders;
• Expand relationships within existing BiggsKofford clients;
• Develop new client and referral relationships throughout Colorado;
• Participate meaningfully in firm strategy and leadership; and
• Help shape the future direction of BiggsKofford’s Real Estate & Construction practice.

At the Senior Manager level, BiggsKofford already expects professionals to manage substantial client relationships, interact directly with owners, CEOs and CFOs, mentor staff, participate in business development and think with an ownership mindset. This opportunity goes a step further: we are looking for someone capable of eventually leading an important industry practice within the firm.

Genuine Partner / Ownership Opportunity

This search is specifically intended to identify someone who can become part of the long-term leadership and ownership of BiggsKofford.

For a strong Senior Manager or Director at a national or regional firm, this could represent an opportunity to accelerate a career path that might otherwise require many years and several additional levels of advancement.

For an existing Principal or younger Partner, it may provide something different: the opportunity to have a much greater influence over the direction of a practice and firm, while building meaningful long-term equity value.

BiggsKofford has a history of developing professionals internally and advancing strong leaders into the partner role. We are not recruiting someone merely to “fill a seat.” We want someone who views this as a long-term career opportunity and who wants to help build something.

For the right individual, equity ownership is intended to be an achievable outcome—not simply a recruiting slogan.

Compensation & Long-Term Economic Opportunity

Given the range of candidates we are willing to consider—from an experienced Senior Tax Manager through an existing Principal or early-stage Partner—the compensation package will be structured around the experience, capabilities and existing relationships of the individual.

We anticipate starting base compensation generally in the range of $200,000 to $300,000, depending upon experience and current level, with additional compensation through performance bonuses and a comprehensive benefits package. For an exceptional candidate, particularly someone bringing an existing book of business or meaningful client relationships, we are willing to consider a compensation structure appropriate to the opportunity.

More importantly, we do not view the initial salary range as the long-term economic potential of this position.

For the individual who truly takes ownership of the Real Estate & Construction practice—assuming key client relationships, developing new business, building a team and expanding BiggsKofford’s presence throughout the Colorado Front Range—the opportunity is substantially greater. A successful practice leader could realistically grow total annual compensation to approximately twice the initial compensation level within a period of several years.

Ultimately, we want the economics of this position to reward the same entrepreneurial behavior we are seeking in the candidate. Someone who builds a significant practice, develops people, creates value for clients and contributes meaningfully to the growth of BiggsKofford should have the opportunity to participate meaningfully in the financial success they help create.

This is therefore not simply a $200,000–$300,000 job. It is an opportunity to use that compensation as a starting point for building a much more significant leadership, ownership and economic position within the firm.

The BiggsKofford Environment

BiggsKofford has approximately 60 professionals and has served Colorado businesses since 1982. We combine the resources and sophisticated client work associated with much larger firms with the accessibility and entrepreneurial environment of a smaller organization.

Our focus is primarily privately held middle-market companies and their owners. We generally do not serve stand-alone individual tax clients, nor is our practice focused on publicly traded companies.

We intentionally emphasize collaboration rather than silos. Our tax professionals work alongside colleagues in audit, advisory, valuation, transaction and other disciplines to help clients throughout the business life cycle—from growth and acquisitions through succession and eventual exit.

We also believe that sophisticated professional work does not have to require the lifestyle traditionally associated with large public accounting firms. BiggsKofford has historically emphasized efficient work practices and reasonable workloads rather than measuring success simply by hours worked.

Location

The position can be based in either our Colorado Springs or Denver Tech Center office.

Because the objective is to develop client relationships, mentor professionals and become an important part of firm leadership, we ultimately view this as a Colorado-based leadership position rather than a permanently remote tax-production role.

For candidates currently outside Colorado, relocation assistance can be considered.

The annual base salary range for this role is $150,000 - $250,000 (or higher). This range includes the anticipated low and high end of BiggsKofford’s salary range for this position. Actual compensation may vary based on various factors, including experience, education and/or skill level.

At Ascend, we provide a fair and equal employment opportunity for all candidates regardless of race, color, religion, national origin, gender, pregnancy, sexual orientation, gender identity/expression, age, marital status, disability, or any other legally protected characteristic. Ascend hires and promotes individuals solely based on qualifications for the position to be filled and business needs.